Characterization of an antiserum to synaptic glomeruli from rat cerebellum

Rabbit anti-rat cerebellar synaptic glomeruli antiserum when absorbed with non-neural tissues reacts only with neural tissues when tested by indirect immunofluorescence on tissue sections. Further absorption with forebrain results in an antiserum which detectably reacts only with synaptic glomeruli and soma of Purkinje cells of both rat and mouse. The developmental expression of the synaptic glomeruli antigen(s) parallels the formation of synapses between mossy fibers and granule cells. Immature synaptic contacts do not contain recognizable antigent(s), whereas only at postnatal Day 15 glomeruli become antigen-positive. At this stage antigen in Purkinje cells is no longer carried in their dendrites, but becomes confined to the cell soma. Staggerer mutant mice still express the immature pattern of antigen distribution on postnatal Day 18.